Why investors push usage-based models

In this episode of Mostly Growth, the number one podcast in product monetization, Kyle and CJ sit down with Metronome CEO Scott Woody to unpack one of the biggest questions in tech: how AI will actually make money. They discuss usage-based pricing, credit models, and why AI may push software toward value-aligned monetization—plus what happens when agents, not humans, start making purchasing decisions.

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SPONSORS:

Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit https://www.tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.

HockeyStack is an AI platform for modern go-to-market teams that unifies sales, marketing, and customer data into a single system of action. With AI agents that prospect accounts, support reps, improve forecasting, and automate what’s already working, HockeyStack helps teams move faster without guessing. Trusted by companies like RingCentral, Outreach, ActiveCampaign, and Fortune 100 teams—learn more at https://www.hockeystack.com

RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.com

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LINKS: 

Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-woody-21677121/

Metronome: https://metronome.com/

Mostly Metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

Growth Unhinged: https://www.growthunhinged.com/

Kyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/

Slacker Stuff: https://www.slackerstuff.com/

Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slackerstuff/

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RELATED EPISODES:

Figma’s AI Credit Model: Should You Copy It?

https://youtu.be/-ooA-jgApCs

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Claude outage and AI habits

1:58 Stripe’s startup energy

3:33 The AI monetization question

4:12 Who’s getting AI pricing right

6:04 Are agents the real buyers

9:03 Sponsors — Tropic | HockeyStack | RightRev

12:44 ChatGPT pricing psychology

13:41 Why $9.99 beats $8.97

15:05 Agents optimize pricing decisions

18:22 Seats plus usage hybrids

20:08 Investors push usage pricing

22:40 Hard to change SaaS business models

23:52 Usage vs seat pricing battle

24:46 AI cost pressure forces change

25:56 Optimization proves real value

32:53 Credits are just a wrapper

34:22 Value across multiple products

35:29 Credits shift risk to buyer

36:11 Complex credits need sales

36:43 Credits move risk in pricing

37:58 Block layoffs awkward all-hands

#MostlyGrowthPodcast #SaaSPricing #AIMonetization #UsageBasedPricing #CreditPricing